“This dream is not for everyone”. That was the punchline to the lavish video shot by Internazionale’s production specialists when they unveiled the most exciting of their several new signings in the 2020 winter transfer window.
The Milan opera house, La Scala, had been hired for the shoot, an orchestra played, and Christian Eriksen strode down the central aisle of the auditorium towards the stage. The dream was not for everyone, said the montage, with the implication the dream is only for talents as special as the gifted Dane.
Eriksen had been purchased for what Inter considered a bargain €20 million ($24.5m). He was the new year’s hot property, having let his contract at Tottenham Hotspur run into its last year, so he would be free in June 2020. Spurs accepted the offer late in the January. Inter had captured in Eriksen a genuine superstar, still only 27, so with several peak years ahead of him given the attacking midfield position he plays.
As every other major club around Europe has now been told from Inter’s offices, Eriksen is the standout footballing property on the market this January, too. The club who bought him for what looked a snip 12 months ago would not baulk if they could just recoup their costs in a sale before this winter window closes. A turbulent year in the game’s economy has lowered market values generally. A very poor year in the career of Eriksen means he and Inter see an exit as best for both parties.
This dream is not for everyone: You could apply the phrase to all mid-season transfers. Sometimes they work beautifully, as Bruno Fernandes did for Manchester United, or Erling Haaland for Borussia Dortmund. But any player joining a new club where hierarchies are established, routines set, faces extra challenges, and, although the Eriksen case is an extreme portrait of how fast hopes can diminish, the prominent footballers on the market in 2021’s first window includes a few who are there because previous winter moves worked out badly.
There’s Eriksen, who made a tepid start at Inter and by the summer was more and more absent from head coach Antonio Conte’s plans. Inter may have imagined he was a low-risk recruit when he signed a four-year contract and dressed up for his La Scala show - that if he didn’t adapt they could then sell a widely-admired playmaker still in his 20s for a profit. The pandemic-driven recession makes them doubt that.
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21 transfers on the cards for January 2021
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1). Lionel Messi. No player will generate more transfer speculation in January than Barcelona’s Argentine superstar. Messi attempted to engineer an exit during the delayed off-season but there was debate over the validity of the exit clause in his contract. Since then, Barca have hardly done much to convince their captain to sign a new deal, with the club struggling in La Liga. It would be astounding if Messi left in January, but he will be free to discuss terms with other clubs. Where he could end up looks to be down to just a few options. Potential destinations: Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain. AP -
2). Paul Pogba. Close behind Messi on the transfer rumour mill will surely be Manchester United’s French midfielder. His agent made it abundantly clear that his client is desperate to leave Old Trafford and it would be in everyone’s best interests to make that move happen. While he has so far struggled to justify his £100m transfer fee, Pogba remains a coveted and highly-rated player. Potential destinations: Juventus, Real Madrid, PSG. AFP -
3). David Alaba. Bayern Munich’s Austrian defender looks destined to leave the Bundesliga champions after a breakdown in talks over a new deal. At 28, Alaba, who operates at both left- and centre-back, is in his prime and is sure to attract plenty of interest from big European clubs. A January move could be on the cards or could be a time when Alaba confirms his next employer for next season. Potential destinations: Manchester United, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Chelsea. Getty Images -
4). Memphis Depay. Lyon’s Dutch forward was on the brink of joining Barcelona on deadline day in the summer, but the move ultimately fell through. As Depay enters the final six months of his contract, it’s widely expected that Barca will revive their interest and seek a cut-price deal in January. Potential destinations: Barcelona. EPA -
5). Georginio Wijnaldum. Amid Liverpool’s rush to tie first-team players to new contracts over the past year, the Dutch midfielder has been the one notable exception. Wijnaldum is a key player for the Premier League champions but negotiations over a new deal have reportedly broken down over his desire for a four-year contract. It could pave the way for Wijnaldum to leave Anfield in January, or at the least agree terms with another club. Potential destinations: Barcelona, Inter Milan. AFP -
6). Florian Thauvin. Newcastle fans will remember the French forward unfavourably but he has been a star for Marseille since his move to the south of France in 2017. However, his future looks set to be away from the Velodrome, with AC Milan admitting their interest. The Serie A side will reportedly face competition from La Liga’s Sevilla. Potential destinations: AC Milan, Sevilla. AFP -
7). Angel Di María. The Argentine attacking midfielder has been a stalwart for PSG but has recently been dropped over a loss of form. As Di Maria enters the final six months of his contract, his future appears elsewhere, with two Serie A giants reportedly interested. Potential destinations: Juventus, Inter Milan. AFP -
8). Hakan Calhanoglu. AC Milan are said to be growing increasingly concerned that the Turkish midfielder has yet to sign an extension to the contract that expires next summer. Should the stand-off continue into January, there is one Premier League club who are, according to reports, ready to make a move. Potential destinations: Manchester United. Getty Images -
9). Julian Draxler. A perennial squad player for much of his time at PSG, the German winger looks set to leave when his contract expires at the end of the season. There is also a possibility that he could depart in January, with reports claiming two clubs are interested in signing Draxler during the mid-season window. Potential destinations: Sevilla, Hertha Berlin. Reuters -
10). Eric Garcia. Like Depay, Manchester City’s Spanish defender was also on the verge of joining Barcelona in the summer. Having started the season with his share of match action, Garcia has slipped down the pecking order following the arrival of Ruben Dias. Injury has also hampered his cause. With his contract running down, Barca could look to secure a deal in January. Potential destinations: Barcelona. Getty Images -
11). Riqui Puig. Not long ago, the young Spanish midfielder was expected to form the future of Barcelona, but Puig has failed to impress manager Ronald Koeman. As his contract enters its last six months, reports say a move to the Premier League could happen, although the Barcelona hierarchy might step in and block any potential exit. Potential destinations: Leeds United. Getty Images -
12). Joshua King. One of Bournemouth’s stars during their stint in the Premier League remained at the club following relegation, but his future looks set to be back in the top-flight with two clubs linked with making a move for the Norwegian forward, who is in the final year of his contract. Potential destinations: West Ham, Newcastle. Reuters -
13). Christian Eriksen. The Danish playmaker’s “dream” move to Inter Milan has quickly turned into a nightmare and if recent comments are to be believed, Eriksen will leave the San Siro in January. There has been plenty of speculation regarding Eriksen’s next destination, much of it focused on a return to the Premier League. Potential destinations: Manchester United, Arsenal. Getty Images -
14). Yves Bissouma. The Ivory Coast midfielder has been one of the few positives in a drab season for Brighton & Hove Albion, and his performances have reportedly been noticed by some big clubs. Brighton will be loath to lose one of their star players in the middle of a season that’s shaping up to be a relegation dogfight but, then again, money talks. Potential destinations: Manchester United, Liverpool, Real Madrid. Reuters -
15). Philippe Coutinho. Another dream move that quickly turned sour, the Brazilian midfielder’s time at Barcelona has fallen short of expectations. With the club in a desperate financial situation, they are reportedly eager to cut their losses and sell Coutinho in January. Suitors may be an issue, though, given his wage demands. Still, there have been some clubs linked. Potential destinations: Arsenal, Juventus. EPA -
16). Mesut Ozil. It's been a disastrous season for both player and club as Arsenal continue to slide while the German playmaker sits idly at home, excluded from their Premier League squad. Manager Mikel Arteta could look to reintegrate Ozil in January but would rather sell Arsenal’s highest-paid player. That might be easier said than done. Potential destinations: Fenerbahce. Getty Images -
17). Divock Origi. The Belgian forward has never been central to Jurgen Klopp’s plans and his place in the pecking order has fallen further since the arrival of Diogo Jota. Reports have emerged claiming he could be set for a January exit. Potential destinations: Wolves, West Ham. Reuters -
18). Arkadiusz Milik. The Polish striker has been one of Napoli’s most consistent performers since his arrival in 2016, either side of a season-ending ACL injury. However, Milik has been excluded from the squad this season after refusing to sign a new contract and a January exit appears inevitable. According to reports, there will be no shortage of takers. Potential destinations: Everton, Atletico Madrid, Juventus. Getty Images -
19). Sami Khedira. The veteran German midfielder has found game time limited at Juventus this season, and with his contract winding down, reports claim a surprise move to the Premier League, and a reunion with a former manager, could come about in January. Potential destinations: Everton. Getty Images -
20). Dele Alli. Tottenham’s English midfielder has seen his influence diminish this season due to a loss of form and rumours persist that he could leave the Premier League club in January. A loan with an option to buy looks more likely at this stage. Potential destinations: Everton, PSG. AFP -
21). Patrick van Aanholt. The Dutch full-back may be one of the most underrated players in the Premier League, and with his Crystal Palace contract set to expire next summer, speculation suggests he could be on the move in January. It would be a big blow to Palace. Potential destinations: Ajax. Getty Images
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Besides, Inter know only too well how a misjudged winter transfer can devalue a footballer. They could just ask Alexis Sanchez, a Premier League hero when he left Arsenal in January 2018 to join Manchester United; available to Inter, who eventually signed him for free, the following year when United wanted to be rid of a player who almost never clicked at Old Trafford.
Diego Costa, 32, is available this January, too, having cut his ties with Atletico Madrid. Once upon a time he was their main man, the combative essence of Diego Simeone’s team. When he re-registered with Atletico from Chelsea three Januarys ago, it looked a shrewd reunion. But he had missed a lot of football in the previous six months, so there was some awkwardness in his mid-season arrival. Injuries, illnesses and fallouts have since knocked him down the pecking order. Atletico will bid him a bittersweet good-bye. The last six months have eroded much of the goodwill between club, head coach and player.
Then there’s Philippe Coutinho, who like Eriksen and Diego Costa, thrived in English football. That’s why Barcelona were ready to stake a record club fee on prising him from Liverpool. Ideally, they would have bought him in the summer of 2017. A tough negotiating stance at Anfield meant the talks, amid Coutinho’s own pressure to leave, dragged on.
He finally moved, for well over €150m, in January 2018. By the middle of that year, he was being booed by sections of Camp Nou. By 2019, he was on loan at Bayern Munich, where he had the contradictory experience of winning a treble, mainly from off the bench, and being told there was no interest at Bayern in signing him permanently. Barcelona could not shift the Brazilian and his vast salary last summer. They then lost much of their hope of doing so this winter when he picked up a knee injury that leaves him out of action until at least March.
